<p>I was incredibly surprised when I began to talk with other new students from my private school and learn that alot of them had used educational consultants to help them get ahead in admissions/make solid, strong applications. What do you guys think? Is using an educational consultant fair and ethical? Do you think they actually help or is it a waste of money?</p>
<p>Well my school has a secondary school division in which they help us... I mean, they guide us in which schools to apply to, etc.</p>
<p>I don't really like it, because they have such small vision for us. But it helps ALOT of people. They alot of the times can tell where you fit in. It works for lotsa kids at my school, just not for me.</p>
<p>An Educational Consultant can be very helpful to families. First of all, a good EC is familiar with many schools, both local and boarding. He or she can give good guidance on what schools would be a good fit for the student, and what schools are "matches", "reaches" etc. They certainly can help review the application and make sure everything is included and presented in the best possible light. The EC may have some contacts at the schools and can put in a good word for the student. A nod from a well-respected EC can help put a kid on the short list. It is not a guarantee of admission, but it can save heartache and money in the long run if the EC is good at his/her job.</p>
<p>So you dont think its a waste of money? I understand that it can help find a good fit and everything, but honestly most kids should be able to figure out what kind of school they would like best by visiting/shadowing.</p>
<p>Well, for me, it did not work. At all.</p>
<p>I chose to find my own schools, and when I visited I fell in love. Many kids at our school don't know what type of school they were looking for. Where they would belong. I had a sense of that already</p>
<p>There are many boarding school/independent day school applicants that come from independent schools that end in 8th or 9th grade. These schools have people designated to help place their graduates in appropriate secondary schools. As a result, a large number of applicants are already represented by guidance counselors, often with school connections. </p>
<p>Educational consultants are not really regulated. There may be some good ones and there may be some super unqualified ones. I think a person with time to research can do a better job at placement than an educational consultant, unless that consultant has relationships with the schools you want. Generally, these people spend most of their time on college placements. Anyone who wants to hire a consultant should research carefully and ask for references. I think they can be a big help to working parents with extensive job commitments.</p>
<p>That's what I felt when I went to Choate. I had the best feeling about it ... </p>
<p>Not at Deerfield or Andover, though.</p>
<p>Really, I loved Choate but I loved Deerfield too. So different though.</p>
<p>trust your gut feeling to choose a school...trust me..it's magical</p>
<p>Anyways, I don't know how helpful consultants really are...</p>
<p>I have know two people that used educational consultants, both coming from an elite school that ended in 8th grade and that already had the school assisting them with their applications. </p>
<p>One friend, now at my school, got into all her schools except for the safeties. They spend 200$ plus for a 2 hour consultation and met with her weekly for a few months. In this case, I guess the educational consultant worked.</p>
<p>However, the other girl I know worked with her educational consultant CONSTANTLY, yet still only got into her back up school, which honestly was much worse than the public school she would have gone to. After spending thousands of dollars, the girl didn't get into any of the schools but one, while my parents were my educational consultants for FREE and I still got into all the schools that she got rejected from and more.</p>
<p>ECs sometimes can be very helpful, but can also sometimes be very discouraging.
For my case, my EC worried about the SSAT score too much, not really thinking other factors such as Extras or interview. He kept on bragging me about adding more safe schools and taking out more competitive schools. But when you think of school guidance and advices, I think they can be extremely helpful.</p>